Lit By Moonlight
by Anonymous Trace
Summary: A tale of monarchy and wars, sins and romance in an alternative realm where King Berwald rules Sweden and mercilessly crushes his enemies. King Mikkel of Denmark will not stand it, and plots against him. SuFin, DenNor.
1. Chapter 1

He was a demon, a monster, a creature cast out of hell by the devil himself; that was how people described the king of Sweden, Berwald Oxenstierna. To his people he was Berwald the Great, but by his enemies he was Berwald the Savage, Berwald the Cruel or Berwald the Frightening. He was a warlord, expanding his kingdom like no ruler before him with his tactical superiority and ruthless training of his soldiers. The Swedish army was feared and just as barbaric as their predecessors the savage Vikings; with king Berwald in the lead Sweden was nothing short of a super-power and one of the world's greatest nations. This was common knowledge to all; something Swedish children were taught by their patriotic parents, and something non-Swedish parents told their children to scare them.

The non-Swedish Tino Väinämöinen he had only learnt of Berwald the Cruel, and thus feared the man with his life. He was the crown prince of Finland, a poor neighboring country to the great Swedish kingdom. Berwald's armies had warred and won against them many times, always claiming more Finnish land to itself, to the point that Finland was one of the smallest nations in the world. They would easily be consumed and overtaken by the Swedes with one more strike against the capital; home of prince Tino.

When a messenger came to his father in the throne room Tino expected to hear news of the Swedish army advancing towards them, and was thus shocked when the messenger read the letter sent by king Berwald himself out loud.

"_King Berwald the first Oxenstierna will pay a visit to the Finnish royal family the 5__th__ of July. The King wishes to discuss Finland's current state, and propose a peaceful solution to the conflict as he wishes not to spill more blood upon your land."_

The letter was mysterious indeed, and baffled both Tino and his two parents to no end. They knew that it wasn't just rumors that spoke of Sweden's brutality; they had witnessed in fear their people being slaughtered like livestock first hand. So why did the king now wish for a peaceful solution?

It was an insult, Raimo, the king of Finland and Tino's father, thought angrily. Berwald knew they wouldn't be able to oppose another attack, so he rubbed it in by saying that he would come _in peace_.

"But my love", his wife the queen of Finland said. "Insult or not, if we can reach a peaceful solution and rescue even one of Finland's children should this not be something worth considering?"

"Not to mention", Tino spoke, even though he knew it was out of turn. "He _said _he will come here – he was not asking for permission. If we launch an attack-"

"I know, I know", king Raimo said. "We will have to negotiate with him… I am sad to say I fear you will ever be called the King of Finland though, my son." He really looked compassionate when he looked into his son's eyes.

"I never really wanted to rule anyway", Tino smiled, and then realized he had again spoke wrong. It was a bad habit of his; he never found the right words it seemed. Thus he had mostly been educated to shut up unless his speech was necessary, but needless to say, that education had not gone over well enough.

Hearing his son the prince speak so negatively about ruling made Raimo angered, but his wife assured him that Tino was just fearful of the Swedish king. He would arrive in only four days, after all, and they would meet face to face with the devil.

xXx

When it was the 5th of July the Finnish capital was surrounded with all of their remaining soldiers who guarded the civilians – their family members still alive – with their lives on stake. Every Finnish man, woman and child were aware of the fact that king Berwald would arrive, but no one dared brining rotten fruit or cabbage to throw at him in disgust. They valued their lives still, and wished for an as peaceful solution as possible.

In the castle Tino was fidgeting in his throne to the right of his father's, nervous like never before. He had many mental images of how king Berwald looked, and none was positive. He was tall and had a crazed glare – those were his known traits, and Tino's mind played around with those concepts eagerly, coupled with illustrations of trolls he had seen growing up.

Somehow though, he was still excited upon meeting the infamous man. The rational part of his mind said that the rumors must be exaggerated – though the Swedish army was brutal the king himself _must_ be refined. He had been raised like a prince just like Tino, had he not? But no matter how much he tried to calm himself, he saw his father's face pale when a servant reported that that a Swedish troop had entered the capital, with the king riding in the front.

He must really think nothing of us, Tino couldn't help but think bitterly, if he rides in front of his troops unprotected. For a change, his mother seemed to be just as aggravated by this realization as he and his father.

All too soon the trumpets were heard and the port to the throne room was opened as the Swedish party entered, king Berwald in the front. He was clad in the Swedish colors blue and gold as expected, with a long rich blue coat and a golden crown on top of his head. As the rumors told he was tall, taller than any man Tino had met, and even though he wore glasses like a professor the sword in his hilt marked him as a warrior. His most striking quality was neither the crown, the height nor the sword though, but his cold stare. His sea-blue eyes told the world that he had never heard of the word compromise, and they seemed to glare down on everyone in the room. Even though Tino and his family's thrones were on a dais which made them taller than him, Berwald still seemed to look down on them as if though they were dwarves.

Almost immediately upon entering the room with fourteen armed soldiers behind him the king's eyes were transfixed on Tino for whatever reason, making the prince yelp in fear. The yelp echoed in the hall, causing not only Berwald but also the Finnish king and queen look at him in surprise. With absolute terror Tino forced himself to look down on his lap. He never wanted to look into the Swedish king's eyes ever again, even if it meant dying. Still he felt Berwald's glare, even when his father spoke.

"Welcome to Helsinki", Raimo said. "How nice of you to pay us a visit, King Berwald." He did not coat his bitterness, or disgust, even one bit.

"Mm, a pleasure", Berwald mumbled in a very non-king like fashion, eyes still focused on the poor and cowering crown prince. "I've a suggestion", he said before anyone else could speak. He remained silent after that.

"… then let's hear it", Raimo almost spat, masking his fear with hatred excellently.

"I w'nt yer son", Berwald said. "T'marry."


	2. Chapter 2

Grumbling like a common – if rouge – man king Berwald certainly was hard to understand. He had not actually said he wanted to marry Tino, had he? Curiosity took a better hold of him and forced Tino to look up despite his fear, only to be greeted by the same stern face and deadly glare with no humor in his eyes. Luckily though, Berwald was now looking at the Finnish king instead.

Raimo appeared just as baffled as the Swedish soldiers behind him; clearly this had not been the proposed plan. Trying to keep calm Raimo bit his tongue until he felt his rage cool off, and in his turn the queen spoke.

"You use the word _son_, King Berwald, so you must be aware that my son Prince Tino is male", she said wisely. "You cannot expect to marry him." Berwald's face remained unchanged, but when he looked on Tino again the poor prince had to look away – fearing he would further embarrass the Finnish monarchy with another scream of horror if he did otherwise.

That he wouldn't be allowed to marry a prince seemed like a non issue for the Swedish king. "I can", he grunted. "N' I will. If ya want yer people t'live." Tino blinked; so all it took for him to save his kinship was to marry the frightening king? But no, he knew it was an impossibility. Even though he wanted to he wouldn't be able to marry a man he couldn't look upon without freezing in fear, and something told him being alone with Berwald would not make things easier for him.

He wanted to say "I refuse", proudly as a prince, but his father beat him to it.

"Absolutely not!" he said. "I will not let my son commit such a sin – such an abomination – with a worshipper of Satan!" Those were harsh words spoken, words that silenced the whole room until the sound of Berwald's heavy steps started echoing instead as he advanced towards the throne. The closer he got, the further down Raimo sunk in his throne, until he realized it would look ridiculous if he slid down further and remained still. Tino was watching the scene by peaking up, with his face paled almost as much as his cold sweating father.

"I am not as young as my son", the queen spoke suddenly. "And I am no virgin. But marry me instead; I can satisfy a man and I will do anything for my wedded husband. I can be a fair queen of the Swedish people." Tino was well aware of his mother's beauty – her fair blonde hair and violet-blue eyes were envied by many, coupled with her fair skin and proud stature. Never before had Tino felt such pride over his mother as when she stood up for her husband and all of Finland's people with a selfless sacrifice.

Tino had inherited his looks after his mother – the skin, the hair and the eyes all rivaled her beauty – but Berwald was a man so he must prefer a woman over him still. It was probably terribly selfish of Tino to wish for his mother to marry Berwald, but he couldn't help thinking it was the best solution. He did not wish to go to hell by being forced into marriage with the devil worshipping king.

It almost seemed like Berwald was contemplating the offer of the Finnish queen, but he suddenly drew his sword instead and pointed it directly under Raimo's chin, poking his neck cruelly. "I want yer son", he said. "N' no one else."

As soon as his sword was drawn the Finnish guards leapt towards him in an attack, but even though they outnumbered the Swedish troop with six people they were brutally defeated. Tino's eyes couldn't help but fix themselves in fear towards the sword pointed towards his father's neck, but he heard war cries and the clash of swords behind him well enough to realize that his guards were no more. In the chaos, no one had noticed the queen slipping away from her throne.

Upon the defeat of his guards Raimo seemed to understand that all hope was lost. He would die – that was what he thought. But he would not die by selling his son like a whore to the perverted king of a godless nation, so defiantly he glared at Berwald. "You will not have my son", he spoke and awaited a thrust of the sword through his neck – adding another soul to Berwald's conscience – but the thrust never came. Instead he heard his son yelp again, and both kings turned to see Tino taken hostage by the Finnish queen with a sword to her neck.

"If you kill my husband then I will kill my son", she shouted to Berwald, who for once seemed a bit lost. His eyes were still frightful, but he was not frowning anymore. "He will be dead before sinning against God."

Mother, don't, Tino wanted to say. He did not wish to die, even if the other alternative was living with king Berwald. Around them lay the corpses of Finnish soldiers, and he could only think of how little he wished to be one of them, even if it meant sinning. As far as he could see, there was only one option, so he reached out his hand and grabbed his mother's wrist.

"If you kill me you will be sent to hell", he told his mother, who looked down on him with puzzled eyes. "Let me hold my own life ransom instead." She would argue, but this was no time, so she let him take sword instead. Berwald's eyes still stared at him, but seemed even more concerned now as Tino had held the sword under his chin.

"K-king Berwald", he spoke, trying to sound as strong as his parents but failing. He did not have the conviction they did, and he valued his life more than his kingdom – what a child he was. "Don't kill my father." Here it was, he thought and dropped the sword hesitantly, raising his hands but not his head. "I will give myself to you." He hated uttering those words, but it was the only chance to keep himself alive – at least that was how he saw it. It was also enough to make Berwald sheath his sword, as both of the Finnish monarchs stared at their son with wide eyes, believing their hearing deceived them.

With his sword sheathed Berwald walked down the dais towards Tino, whom he reached before the queen could. "Capture 'em", he ordered his troops who quickly advanced and seized the last King and Queen of Finland. "Ya'll live", he said. "N' serve in a lord's castle. Finland is now Swedish territory." Tino gulped when a large hand was placed on his shoulder, no doubt belonging to the king he still did not look up at.

"Cap'n Wikström."

"Yes, my king?" one of the soldiers – the captain of them – spoke and stepped out of the line.

"'Tis now yer principality", Berwald decided. "I'll arrange the documents."

"T-thank you my king! Long live King Berwald the Great!" The former Finnish queen's "tsk" was well heard, and caused her and her husband to be gagged before they were forced outside, to their new lives presumably.

For whatever reason, Berwald gave Tino's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "I'll speak to th'people", he said. "Ya'll go to yer room and pack what ya want to bring to Drottningholm." Tino was well aware that Drottningholm was the Swedish palace, and certainly, his new home.

Before he was given a chance to reply, or react to the fact that the king had spoken to him, Berwald left his side and two Swedish soldiers surrounded him and forced him to pack his most precious belongings in his room. He asked for privacy and was told he had five minutes. He used those minutes well, by crying onto his bed for the last time he would ever sleep on it. He prayed to God disaster would meet with Berwald before the wedding; he would rather be a slave than his wedded partner. It felt hopeless though, and he regretted his action of selfishly selling his parents out. Had he waited, perhaps Berwald wouldn't have killed his father at all, and they would have reached a compromise. But no, he had offered himself like a common slut.

His cries were disturbed when the soldiers entered and told him that time was up, so he was forced to pack his items. A cross passed down from his grandmother, a dagger from his mother's time as a noble and a teddy from his time as a child in the palace; those were the items he treasured the most. The teddy was added very discreetly as he felt embarrassed by it, and heard the guards snicker when he placed it in the bag which they picked up and carried after he had packed his clothes as well.

Surely the guards weren't allowed to kill him, Tino guessed, so as the three walked he took a chance with a question. "I'm sorry, but you cannot honestly approve of a marriage between two men", he said out loud. "It's against God." The soldier before him chuckled, but it was the one who walked behind him who replied.

"If our king cared about God then we wouldn't just as puny as Finland", he said. "Our king is more powerful than a God. Haven't ya heard? The first thing our king did was burn ten churches, and we've never lost a war."

More powerful than God, Tino thought, scared more than ever of his soon-to-be husband. Was that even possible? But after having looked into the man's eyes he was sure, more so than ever, that if God feared any man it was king Berwald.


End file.
